Would you buy a fragrance with this history ?

I am looking at buying an old fragrance - no names at this point. Details I have are as follows :

- it is about 95% full
- it was purchased in Europe in 1985
- since that date it has been stored in a house bathroom cabinet, so not much exposure to light
- the bathroom is the warmest room in the house in summer (no direct sunlight on the cabinet), in a city with a coolish climate
- owing to the city climate, warming bath lights were used about 30 mins per day for about half the year.

I realize this is all a bit speculative, but based on that information, would you say the perfume is still ok ? I assume the top notes are long gone.

Re: Would you buy a fragrance with this history ?

No, it must be chock full of all those dangerous allergens that IFRA is protecting us from. Avoid at all costs.

Haha! If only they knew about all the pollen currently creating a thick blanket over my car, they'd refocus their concerns!

On topic, though, the only thing that concerns me is that it's spent so much time in the heat and humidity of the bathroom. Then again, it's been in a cabinet, so not as much exposure. Again, I suppose it depends on what the fragrance is and if the particular formulation at the time is worth the risk.

Re: Would you buy a fragrance with this history ?

Would depend on the scent (some are more prone to degradation than others) and the price. If it was one I really wanted, and the price was reasonable, I'd probably take the risk. You have more information than is normally available when making such purchases.

Re: Would you buy a fragrance with this history ?

It sounds good to me. (assuming it's one of those many 1980's classic scents, original Kouros, Paco Rabanne or whatever.) BUT, it would depend on the price. I wouldn't pay big bucks for it (more than the price of a new bottle of the most recent version of the scent.) In fact I wouldn't even pay that unless the seller agreed to a refund if it didn't seem "right".

Re: Would you buy a fragrance with this history ?

Originally Posted by Paul P

- since that date [1985] it has been stored in a house bathroom cabinet, so not much exposure to light
- the bathroom is the warmest room in the house in summer (no direct sunlight on the cabinet), in a city with a coolish climate

That sets alarm bells ringing, as humidity isn't good for fragrances in general.